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Babies: 0 - 3 Months
c-section...staples vs stitches?
What did you have and how was healing?
So far I've heard that stitches are better but others say staples...I think my Dr does stitches so I was wondering how you were healing with each
Any any other tips for the c-section procedure would be appreciated...like a birth plan or things you liked or disliked during your c-section that you wish you did differently
TIA
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Re: c-section...staples vs stitches?
Neither. Dermabond. She glued me up and I could take a shower the next day, although none of my nurses told me until like the 3rd day. No fuss over the glue, just have to scrub it off once your incision heals.
As far as a "birth plan" for a c-section, you don't have much of a choice. Every thing they do is important for the procedure and for your and baby's safety. They pull out the baby, announce the sex (if you don't already know), bring the baby around to show you and then rush them off to clean and do APGARs, etc. DH went with the baby while they put me back together and we are really glad he did. I fell asleep while they finished. If you are planning to BF, ask for the baby ASAP...my hospital brought her to me in recovery, but some hospitals make you wait. Make sure you ask.
I've had 2 c-sections and I've only had staples. They suck hardcore, but you usually get them taken out about 4 or 5 days after surgery. I healed "perfectly" as my doctor said, but it's painful to move around, especially getting in and out of bed, while they're still in.
Make sure you take a Boppy or some support pillow, especially if you plan on BFing. You won't want that pressure on your incision. And have them bring the baby to you as soon as possible so that you can nurse.
I had stiches with the first, staples with the 2nd. It was easier to recover from the first C, but that may have been because I did not have other kids to care for, or that it was the first. But they both healed up nicely.
What I did like better during the 2nd C was that they put in the catheter after the spinal. Way better. For some reason they put in the catheter before the spinal during the first C.
I had staples and they didn't bother me at all. I was able to take a shower the next day, healed perfectly and quickly, didn't cause pain, etc.
DH stayed with me during recovery instead of going to the nursery and I'm glad he did. I had been in labor for 27 hours, was in horrible pain, had oxygen tubes put up my nostrils, and they were considering doing a blood transfusion because I had lost too much blood. Having him with me was a huge comfort and after they got all the pain meds in my system, we were both able to nap in recovery for awhile.
If you are BFing, get that baby to nurse ASAP and you will want some sort of pillow to help. Boppy, Breastfriend, extra pillows from the hospital, whatever.
One suggestion I would make would be to bring a light, cotton, long sleeved tee shirt to wear. When I left the hospital I had VERY painful scrapes on my elbows from pulling myself around in my bed on them. (You won't be able to use your abdomen to help move around much.)
This is my siggy. Love it.
I had disolvable staples, and didn't have an issue with them. I have no idea when they started to disolve. I was too scared to look. I just had gallbladder surgery a week and a half ago, and actually had an easier time with the steri-strips with the c/section than I have with the ones from the gallbladder.
As far as a birth plan is concerned, I agree with J+MS. There's not much you can do. It's out of your hands at that point. My c/s wasn't planned. I was in labor for 30 hours and developed a fever. As a result, they took DD right away to start antibiotics. She was born at about 1:45 am and I didn't see her until 6 am. After she was born, DH went to make sure DD was okay, and once he knew she was, he came back to me because I was losing more blood than the doctor would have liked. I'm glad he came back to me. Once DD was out, I started to feel sick and was shaking like crazy. You should be prepared for the shaking. It sucks. I spent quite awhile in recovery. Obviously, I would have wanted things to have gone differently, but I never questioned what they were doing.
I had dissolving stitches and the glue on top of that. So, it was really good because I could shower the next day. And I didn't have to go back in to get any staples removed. I've had staples in my knee before after surgery and they sucked!
For me anyway...
Good luck to you!
Had dissolvable stitches I think, or maybe staples. Either way they dissolved on their own. Had steri-strips to help keep the incision closed as well. Steri strips came off at 2 week visit.
Make sure you get up and walk as soon as you're able (usually the next day). Shower as soon as they allow you to as well. (I waited but it was mostly because I'd feel great in the morning and go down to the Special Care Nursery to see the baby, but then in the afternoon I'd be so exhausted from the walk down there, visitors, drs, and nurses, that I'd take a nap. I finally forced myself to get that shower in before I went to see my little guy.
The only thing I didn't like was that I couldn't see anything (they had taken my glasses off) so if I decide to have a c-section with the next baby I'm going to see if they'll let me wear them. They took them in the room with us and put them on after they brought the baby over to me so that I could see him better. It would have been nice to be able to see because then I could have watched what they were doing on the other side of that curtain in the mirror on the ceiling. I kept asking questions. DH got to see DS be pulled out but I didn't.
This was exactly my experience.
I wish I knew to ask my OB how many layers he would be stitching up. Most only do 2-3 and omit stitching the abdominal muscles altogether. Due to the size of my mammoth baby, I now have diastasis (abdominal muscle separation that can cause hernia). This could have been easily corrected during the c-section with a few extra stitches. So ask your OB about that, especially if you are getting large estimates for LO's size!
P.S this book is great at explaining what I mentioned above, and it gives you a layout of super low-impact exercises that you can start right in the hospital to speed up your recovery:
https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-C-Section-Mom-Nutrition-Lifestyle/dp/1440502021/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1292883891&sr=8-1
With DS1 I had staples and the healing was great. Getting them out 2 weeks pp wasn't bad at all. I could shower with 24 hours of the surgery. The scar was so faded from my incision that I could barely see it. I had little tiny marks where the staples were for a few months, but the eventually faded too.
With DS2, I had steri-strips, showered the same night as my surgery. The healing is going great. Much easier the second time around since I didn't labor for 30 hours prior this time. They did it in the exact same place as the first. The usual numbness can be expected. I also noticed this time it was not as bothersome having clothes rub up against it for as long.
With a planned CS it was so much more relaxed. I made sure they knew that I wanted DS to stay in the OR with us and come to recovery asap so I could breast feed. They were so great with following my requests. I was only apart form him for about 15-20 minutes, but DH was with him those 15-20 minutes. I was able to nurse within about 45 minutes.
All in all it was a completely different experience from my first. Very pleasant and easy. Good luck to you!
Staples, I didnt even try sleeping in my bed so I slept in my recliner the first few nights home. Got them out 4 days after delivery and felt absolutely nothing. Not even a pinch. 3 weeks pp and my incision looks close on the outside and i can get in and out of bed without issue.Though even after the stitches were out my insides were still really sore so I stayed in my recliner for another few days.
The stitches look painful but weren't in my case. Just bought over the tummy panties and didn't wear anything that could possibly pull at them. I had an epi and I shaked like crazy for about 2 hours after the surgery and the shaking didnt completely stop until 3 hours after that. Be prepared for anything...anything can happen. My c/s was unplanned and I became hysterical when they told me I had to have one. I absolutely hated that everyone else got to see my son before his mommy did. Also be prepared for not remembering seeing LO for the first time, DH swears they showed me DS before sending him to the nursery but I don't remember it.=(
I had requested stitches but changed my mind in the room. I was sooo ready for it to be over and to get to hold my son. I no longer cared what he used. Everything healed great and the staples were very easy to have removed. Will definately do that again with the next one.
One thing they did that I loved was bring DS over and lay him on my chest while DH held him there. I had been shaking uncontrollably up until that point and as soon as they laid him on me it stopped and I got to start bonding right there while my dr finished up.
I recommend getting out of bed as soon as they let you. I was up, showered and sitting in a chair when my OB came to check on me the next day. Even he was surprised by how fast I did that. I believe that made a huge difference in my recovery time. I went on a few walks a day and got out of the bed and sat in a chair a lot while making sure no to push myself too much. I was driving again within a week (they said it would take at least two). I was off pain meds after being home only a couple of days. DH and I were even allowed to resume sex at 4 weeks instead of 6 with minimal issues. One thing that really helped as I recovered was having a c-section wrap on at all times for the first couple of weeks.